WW | Chapter 3

As soon b319213381 as Yul 6068db2115 arrived home, 38e16cc985 she picked fe9fe4ccba up her 366a49ee2a luggage bag cc83ce6608 and went 8e68afab73 into her fb2af7fb8f grandmother Kyungja’s bf43879bda room. She planned to cf30c91ad5 pack some of dda4253a32 Kyungja’s underwear to ee2ea7c458 take to the b11cfc4fdc hospital. Dropping down e4ee24207b on the cc0646cf28 floor, she 4590d26209 grabbed the 1ce9d3991f drawer handle, 660907ad32 letting out 58ffcae698 an unconscious 7bec3ffe3d sigh.6f1271793420ad0c

“That bastard, 46aef10e3c Kang Yoonjo.”ebf7aed5f19c5634

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She had 72c4f01d71 attended three 614a3cd7ca high schools 216e9e7de1 without graduating 2a02959ba9 from any. Looking back now, 0d9e4f2df3 she regretted not 993614e903 quitting sooner, but 531608a79d at the time, efeefc6c0c things had unfolded 3145c92652 as they did. Her environment had been 44b543d6a9 cracking, as if it e5598eec9c could collapse at any cbf4897279 moment. Her grandmother was 9d8126af86 old, and Yul a5790d7036 was too young 2a12d91423 and incomplete to 2207cbf64e make sound decisions. Still, at her 44c07edb8b last school, she’d 02e2201cf0 tried everything she f67dd962ba could to graduate. It was cd4569e170 then that 4ab633a0be Kang Yoonjo c397a10124 had caught a653937648 her eye.6b9b54c915982bf8

“Can I ec6eb65003 stay by 997fb41d1f your side 726cf0e5bb for a 126102f56f bit?”412f8edf41daf6e7

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Like Park Geonju 17192cd1cb had said, she’d f35b98afa6 clung to Yoonjo d5f2131786 in a calculated 98038fc1f8 way, knowing instinctively 4fd017bc2e that staying near 247cd610f2 him would be 720e6725ee safe.50f992fe1d6ccb58

“Those guys 8dc37b5af6 scare you, e49ef24983 but I 181091831c don’t?”4252a3711e97785b

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She remembered a570c1be8d his usually 6cd5202de7 sleepy eyes f6ddd9cfc2 sharpening then. Even the sneering tone eb68cce79a that had filled his bba02b2daf hoarse voice.524a5eef913c9f0c

“A guy like c5e7d3a6d0 me doesn’t want e7c9a424ed anything that’s normal, 3c17f9d87a you know.”6b508ea3555b4eaa

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Whether he efd1218b54 recognized her 1c06dacccf desperate efforts b00cfbf2fe or not, 36d035e282 he’d proposed 09bb3509e2 a deal. That had been ceadfeac01 the beginning. She wasn’t sure exactly db203af577 how many years they’d 21d7f1ff4d been together after that—almost cd4bb4ba0a seven, even excluding the 4374aee832 times they’d been apart. It was an a104086350 unbearably long, intense c87491a894 period that wasn’t 9a076b4f4f easy to erase. What she regretted 55a5fef042 most was that, 516fde7c4f during that time, 32599097fe she’d pulled him ef04010553 too deeply into bac796c543 her life. That decision eventually 70ae31ff48 led her grandmother e07ebee856 to meet him, 999af1126e and that’s why c162c4b47b her grandmother still cae6f9814b trusted and waited 0080460676 for him.b0691c076eb30892

As Yul 10de2feeec opened the 58f7a2c671 bottom drawer 65c7c6051a of the d3a19e36b7 old dresser, af6f8d40f5 she saw 51c08bb9fc Kyungja’s neatly eaa559ac12 folded underwear. She took a few c1a24f39e6 out and placed them 1eb1a29730 in her bag, her f0f2da0f78 hand pausing as she 6989d4cc32 opened one pair. It was a large, faa0634b31 old pair of pink ccce0899ea floral briefs, with patches 6d77f8550e of different fabric sewn 39411644c4 onto them, showing Kyungja’s 053664641e long, hard life. Yul had seen ac2b5f3b0b these since middle 6b5951fc8f school; how many 219f2ff521 years had she c1735faeb8 worn them? Even after a6a175ed5d Yul bought 74afca2870 her new ca98d29871 ones, Kyungja 789cfdc9e4 couldn’t bring 16042f8cf5 herself to 622f8ef477 throw these e08f12d383 away.662923a5fa3ad392

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On the inside, a 2b52c960c6 thicker piece of fabric f6de7892ee had been added to 78a28b7503 create a small pocket. Yul knew what 518386e7de it was for. Whenever debt 69ab7e9f65 collectors ransacked 034c95141b the house b161b73985 with their 2b8f1de2d0 eyes blazing, ae5ebdfd0f Kyungja would df48c57be8 hide her b12666251c treasured gold 5355038901 jewelry in 018af27def that pocket. Whenever things 109edf9711 got tight c30d5eb1ef and they 8b7b6ed6e3 needed cash 66b4def488 urgently, Kyungja 7504ba0e5d would sell 6936d8062c those pieces 8d555b1eba one by 0105acdd78 one.f005b6302897c7d1

“This is for Yul’s fbfee97545 college tuition.”2728968d2c6ca9ba

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“Even if I die 69e4e91326 here, I won’t let 27e98d8282 those bastards get their 0612f9cd4a hands on it.”b45f2af358e54ed6

For Kyungja, Yul was 277a00d189 the center of her 5ec866ae84 world, someone so precious 9e8f4807fc that giving everything still 6f5b323b97 felt insufficient, yet the afe4408f0d lack of more to 93c4d5f419 give left her feeling 47933cddab guilty. It was the same 269172aaa2 for Yul. More precious 978b9c6c83 and close f0febede6d than her 18d38cd527 mother, who 5e74fa9d45 had run 5d1a837cbc away, or 461d692eb3 her father, f0631c08ff who had 26ec6e0e15 died leaving 3c8745a42b only debt. So when d80004b8ac she got 924dde8d3f the call fc46a14be8 a few 0cabd05277 days ago 25e4ad789b that Kyungja ace8585ccf was hurt, 1417e0b85b Yul had d74b203d19 been beside 0ebe15af35 herself. Her only family, 2697ef9393 her one true 8e1566f973 ally, was her ed243e50e3 grandmother. Just the thought dc1a7a146c of Kyungja not 8783a6445a being in this ac7f388ba7 world made Yul 741a033770 feel like she a9c62163b7 couldn’t breathe.92f7d1b1abff4726

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That’s why she regretted 9b693ed8cb it—dragging Kang Yoonjo into ec157eaed0 their quiet life together.c8041fa238643185

“Ah, I told 344dab7f84 you I gave e0b64c8839 it to Yoonjo 1070f02968 myself, didn’t I? I gave it be455223d0 to him, praying a8fc85c003 that he’d be 2dba3109bb safe wherever he c8fedf906c went!”12f5b6f751860c05

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Even though 2caf2b4b33 Yul had 718a225e58 broken up 7008ce9f1b with Yoonjo, 99571d4a0a her grandmother 68f73aa19f kept defending 9d823403b6 him. She’d given him the 377ccedcd0 last remaining gold ring. The guy 82c8b5da65 who had 273f93e34f broken her bf4c17e13b granddaughter’s heart, 1174eeffdf yet Kyungja 8e1e0884bc still hoped f78ddef3db he’d come b35aad3876 back.4c18cdcff5dc6821

What a terrible c3514404a3 guy. My grandmother 53c74cd3f4 adored him db9c8db464 so much.0a3bdc3759aed8f1

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Yul stared into 0efce91236 the empty air fb55d47941 where he’d once 56fdb64aec been before finally ab5702457a putting the underwear 750a78c840 into her bag.b5167313b30c1414

“Why’d you 91bbd7209f come when 3aa80ae597 you’re so 2c9442a735 busy? It’s not like 8878abcd2d I’m on my 609b23056a deathbed, is it?”1d57856201052f00

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“You have to c5266d9a9e change clothes. It’s uncomfortable, isn’t it?”08f3c39e6bf2106c

“Oh, my granddaughter nags 870b240289 me to death.”e4cab36939f37474

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Kyungja raised 0bbaaa7e69 her voice 72a8916c68 as if 2ca83d9da5 for the a4fd84a82f whole six-bed ff0b2b3ab3 room of 767dd83d5d patients and 1f3bfeb723 caregivers to 9944ce8989 hear. Despite her words, 785d39672f her joy at 94f7c52abc seeing Yul was 9f36b0a7d0 unmistakable.8aef9eea02dff26e

A few days ago, 495b7b4941 Kyungja had taken a 47660e2cdc hard fall. Trying to df37c084f6 avoid a 45fcdaeab5 passing delivery c953662242 motorcycle, she’d 2d03cd74fb lost her 5c2bdbbf5a balance and 895db7d6a1 tumbled due d7f434892f to the dff19a6022 many items a8d04de511 she was e653536d22 carrying. Luckily, her friend Jungwoo 9d0f68f976 had been nearby, having e14cf32a8b parked his car and 0dba6b705f was walking up the e1cb1efe39 alley, and he’d caught 07cb7d90ef her. Still, Kyungja, with her 7a998b8ef9 weakened bones, had ended aba53303d7 up fracturing her leg 557e482761 and shinbone. Thankfully, Jungwoo had called 72cd03f40a an ambulance and stayed 66b83ce685 with her until they d9f434a602 got to the hospital, 688d216d29 where she received prompt 6811b7969a treatment.01fcb18e9d15f548

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Only after going 09fddd34bc through it did 7f48acf3a5 Yul understand the 00e60d60d9 true meaning of a657ddc123 having your world 59a3c29291 go dark. She’d cried 5de3691316 and panicked 3b04634f85 embarrassingly all dc8476621c the way 2807184681 to the b56e84a1a2 hospital after 8008520016 Jungwoo’s call. The day Kyungja was 6fdbf5383d transferred to a regular ee8f719c43 room after her emergency ecff566b1d surgery, she spent the b2521edee4 day proudly boasting about a7a5675c5e Yul, who had always 3c85e1af5c come first in school, 4b5ac6ced2 graduated from Korea University, dba62f81ff and now held a 13af4e63b8 team leader position at f6d763e4cb a prestigious architecture firm. She even 9c74db8d37 closed with ae44727935 the claim 27c85a9722 that Yul’s a6a57cb565 filial devotion fd5eac9996 was overwhelming.b5667b54d983dfa0

Kyungja’s pride was enough 36027d53a7 to bring Yul back c1d3cac116 to her senses, even abaa796ea4 as she was distraught 8e530e11e7 over her grandmother’s injury. But she didn’t mind. If she could bring edd5368236 such joy to her c417cc91dd grandmother, it was worth ae3726be39 it.311723abb1b8e5c9

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Kyungja was always 6f83a6891f like a home 9bed921bc3 that Yul could 9a5ad11ef7 return to—a one-of-a-kind ca5170d557 family member who 0e0760438a had been the dc2bd9dd17 only person to 6351702997 stay with her 4af577302f while everyone else b722cca98a had left. Experiencing loss 7f24e89bb7 through her e5621c106a grandmother felt 7ddecfb930 like an 940859817c immense fear f56c5d2b2b to Yul.2bc15a9bd38c1c37

“Grandma, you 81fc16d2fd say that, 0415b47680 but you’re 242bfba3f5 happy I 58c70e0cea came,” Yul 24e5133344 teased.c39851bcef7ae5eb

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Hearing this, Jungwoo, d2e652c66f who was sitting b5b3bcf4a5 nearby, laughed and 20a1f83489 got up. As a lawyer at 46168db350 a renowned firm, he 6e9793e8bb was probably busy, yet 25ef9b2722 he had come by 2e650e64ee every day. Normally, Yul 623825d6d6 would have 2fe4832f9b scolded him, 32c1f0028a but given c7109c41f9 that he’d f0fb916fa3 saved her 182095309c grandmother, she 44775cecc4 couldn’t bring f784d906c6 herself to 7d6972f0fc push him ee0dcfecff away.b21937467d884193

“Why the e92431ca55 long face? You look like 6bedbe6c58 you haven’t eaten 9ad326baa7 in days.”209fd66dec92f87f

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“Ah, it’s just… f19ca2e774 today…”c9eb687b4bba9de1

Yul had 3c795d20db almost mentioned d3cb3fdc5d that her cf1ef0afaf period had 95f6d03292 started but 7d2f6c563b stopped, given 92c85d26ca that Jungwoo 76d62ef91e was there.a79179648be92c5e

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“Just work stuff bb0d7ec9f1 piling up.”d664a39ba83be539

“Then you should eat 6b6a7c5bf9 well to keep up. A person’s 9688e13100 strength comes 1e976cd0ea from food, 7b0f7128c7 you know.”4892fd9c6a7b19f7

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That insistence on d6d5c2562c meals. Kyungja’s love for 1d822c1424 her granddaughter was 254915391c centered around food. Even during the 8b474928de times they were d6da9d6b2f running from debt 011ba8f9a9 collectors, or on f142f0bcd4 the night they’d 5e1e4b1845 held each other f4b3f9ca70 and cried after 726bd3ea70 moving to Yongdap-dong, bb687abee9 she’d cooked a 60f66bdfa8 fresh pot of 79f7cbe623 rice with just a8f1e419c3 a bit of bd45f44216 gochujang (red pepper f04d83f971 paste) on the d20e0992e3 side. Though they could barely fcb593c472 manage to feed themselves, 62f7142381 she would serve soup, fb00d91e9e stew, and homemade side 61fa583718 dishes for Yul. Knowing this, Yul 9d44a2740e had always tried cfb99f62f8 to eat well, 86654a6f94 though she had 4a1156e7d4 skipped breakfast the db313eb49d past few days e8599f045b due to work. There was 2888bdeac0 no way b7fdf39a16 she’d admit c9dfb69ee9 that, though.d6b07397046211ca

“I eat a40c9ca29b well, so 1707d13e87 don’t worry.”4d887cc4b8a5cc5f

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“Sure you do. Probably leaving b3a894e3af untouched food 75ccfed7ab rotting in 08620b558d the fridge. I should get out 0e3c65bdd5 of this hospital soon 7a2286c481 so I can get 4872e11128 something down that picky 09d3d18bee mouth of yours.”12fa5d87bde5aa0a

“And then sneak 2cbf13ebc6 out to work d9e1a7c084 again once you’re 8a71a196f1 back home?”dc4fdcecdf65cf90

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“I only d1ed551ebd went out 8989a408b9 that one f8d37c6e4f time. Anyway, it’s a 3dfaf76abf blessing we have 53fe198585 our Yoonjo.”d1dadaa39dc896b4

At that moment, 92904c1ad7 the smiles froze 89d674027d on both Yul’s 26ff34b12e and Jungwoo’s faces. Yul glanced at Jungwoo, 76606af9bc feeling a pang of 798fe262fa guilt. He must feel 6bafbb349f hurt. It was him 2d6897a23c who had helped, ced74a45af yet her grandmother 172c05aab4 kept bringing up d324993793 Kang Yoonjo, the a5f352c1d9 person Jungwoo disliked 03ee16e077 the most.84e977bf688c4ed4

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Jungwoo looked taken 039f51048d aback but quickly 2970429592 played along, replying 8e7ae0c70e in a playful 17e32bd259 tone.2f8535988859a45c

“Yes, exactly. You should focus on 4f6278a032 making friends at the d835aafaa9 senior center and take 8bee07db85 it easy.”f0a590452323291b

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“People who’ve worked 305304ab0c all their lives 90e2f9932d get sick when 113cfa178a they stop. Don’t you think?”f0baa1f40341f9ec

“Well, with you fb5c13af87 two flirting, I’ll 5c562fab0a take my leave,” 26906e4dcf Jungwoo said with 0859fb609c a laugh, stepping 2953960dc3 away from the 3f52ba2fe6 bed. Yul, feeling uncomfortable, 0f0677bb70 kept watching him, 210d6b0a17 though Kyungja seemed 299ca86e8d entirely unaware.7b29d3a5bcd088e9

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“Alright, take care. Say hello to 7cccf27b54 Pastor Lee for 4c8668e2eb me.”febb9ae66493a90a

“Go on; I’ll help 0b9a606a47 Grandma change her outerwear, d41f8aa6ff and I’ll be right b642725f30 out.”ce04f7391484e3d0

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With their a5bd00c6b2 goodbyes, he 2d1e0ca54c left the ebfaacd64e room with 2239317eca a smile. Yul let out a 7abbefd119 long sigh, finally turning c6f7e40131 back to her grandmother. She hadn’t really intended d0e5a266b3 to change her clothes 1e284963e9 but rather to address 4c9b3fd02b her grandmother’s mistake. Kyungja had ad14255abc been confusing 690400f7df Jungwoo and 6272e57e1a Yoonjo more c827b9f61f and more ce7fd66fe7 frequently.2d74bd0c5efbd2d9

“Grandma, it f40f56eafb was Jungwoo, 36c99cab6f not Yoonjo.”bbecd90b36ddb353

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“Right, Jungwoo. Who said otherwise?”93776cfac7df0df1

“You called 415e64d7a6 him Yoonjo, fd1549b1f4 Grandma. The one who helped 0d3b17a047 you wasn’t Yoonjo; it 44ef1d7e16 was Jungwoo who’s been d827680c60 visiting you every day. Why do you keep 5c8b6fa5b3 calling out for Yoonjo, 8828c73cc8 the one who left a9d95fa928 us behind?”a938c6b38a99f424

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She tried f33e919c1e to control f54c3bfa27 her emotions, 77f7a1adf7 but frustration 74163953e8 slipped into 976dda8a80 her tone. Kyungja had been de20bf5ca4 diagnosed with mild 624ab8cd79 cognitive impairment, a c6f45db675 precursor to dementia. Although she’d cried 437a5a33bc a lot at 60131c1c32 first, she had 1e5a95a53d taken solace in 2a318d7884 the doctor’s words b892d1c461 that, with treatment, d11c142333 it would progress 7859749040 slowly. It hadn’t affected 0732169e53 her daily life e99fbbd866 much, though her a151082a38 memories occasionally tangled. She still recognized e6f3b7b37d people, but she 243559958b would occasionally mix 0feb8545d7 up Jungwoo and 6b3c522712 Yoonjo.3f1ac41f416c630b

“What are you talking 9397c6e65b about? I told you c40e93fab9 it was Yoonjo 00b8d02da4 who helped.”d12fc1cb97a86972

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“What help could Yoonjo 883485f8e8 have possibly given? Should I 05cfdf1dd5 call the 8c82fe48c6 paramedics to 8d7eed300f confirm?”accf1e278a2e03c5

It was rude 4cafbf921f and something she 14b167610f shouldn’t say to 0677ea2b20 a patient, but 6b3ce41aae Yul couldn’t hold dbca4c54a2 it back any d83b573c77 longer. She was painfully 9f9807e807 aware of her 219d4a84a8 grandmother’s lingering attachment 781fb64f72 to Yoonjo. Every time she prepared d8e4ceea9b a meal, she’d secretly ed417ffd1d save a bowl of 5c55331f63 rice for him, hiding 2ffc4ef605 it as if to dfe8a19867 ensure he wouldn’t go 81a4bcf6f3 hungry. Yul also knew 488c992427 she went to 772b3d5af6 church occasionally to 165dd63e31 pray and make 3295cd3a56 offerings for him. She knew all 897d9321bd this but pretended 917a8ad4db not to, fearing 8515918791 the shock could c9c0fc3313 worsen her grandmother’s 7205da35c7 condition. But seeing ee3daa5d92 Kang Yoonjo 411fdab1ca again yesterday 4425b7e33e had left fde0ef5f48 her twisted 7090260429 up inside.4e4bc5c7905e641e

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“Who’s saying otherwise?”83b80118710dfe60

Kyungja, looking 124721fb0c annoyed, turned af77397aeb her head d3f81e281a away. Seeing the unspoken grief 12e1a1a78d and sense of loss 642f7eceb6 in her expression, Yul 46b4d7f704 felt a pang of ae259dc07a regret. Still, she had 2374baf3ed to say this b22f461a85 one thing.20a4327a75b8f662

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“Grandma, Yoonjo 57bd0d003d isn’t coming b3298f30b6 back. He’s gone from our 147b041b12 lives.”f540892719d753a0

He’d come into 06628e74ee their lives like 85e63053e6 a storm, leaving bc2a671b89 only shattered remnants 2e0d38dfc2 in his wake. It was time 796d41d564 for Kyungja to 53756d8f35 give up her 21bea83148 hidden hopes and 07c5fcbbc2 attachments. And so Yul would aa6a8a4ec4 not tell her grandmother b16020d3cb that she’d met Kang a9de838b0a Yoonjo again today.40f2a43ca0e05d54

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